How to Install Guard Rails on a Porch

Guard rails are an important part of a porch. Not only do they keep you and your family safe from accidental falls, they are also attractive accessories for your home's exterior. You can install guard rails to an existing porch fairly easily. It's a job that any weekend warrior can tackle.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 2-by-4 planks of wood
• 2-by-2 planks of wood
• Hammer
• Electric drill
• Level
• Carpenter's square
• Circular saw
• Finishing nails
• Nail set
• 2 1/2-inch galvanized deck screws
• Paint brush
• Outdoor paint

1. Find out how high the guard rails for a porch have to be and how much space should be between the slats by checking the building codes in your area.
2. Measure the space between each of the vertical supports on the porch to determine the lengths of the horizontal rails. There will be a horizontal rail at the top and bottom of each space.
3. Cut 2 by 4s for the horizontal rails using a circular saw.
4. Install the horizontal rails in their proper places. If they are cut properly, they should be a tight fit, so use a hammer to tap them into place. Use the level to position them square.
5. Use the electric drill to make pilot holes at an angle from the end of the horizontal rails to the vertical supports. Two on each side should suffice.
6. Screw the deck screws into the pilot holes. Use the electric drill with a screwdriver attachment to make light work of this task.
7. Measure and mark where the upright slats should go between the horizontal rails.
8. Cut 2 by 2s using the circular saw to fit the space between the horizontal rails.
9. Install the slats in their places.
10. Drill pilot holes at an angle from both ends of the slats into both horizontal rails.
11. Use finishing nails to secure the slats in place through the pilot holes.
12. Use a nail set to recess the nails. Put the nail set up to the head of the nail and tap it with hammer.
13. Finish off the rails with outdoor paint to match the rest of the porch. While you're painting, paint another coat on the vertical supports so that they all match.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a carpenter's square to mark where you want to cut on the wood to ensure you get a straight cut.
• Cut a piece of wood to the length of how much space should be between each slat to make marking their location quicker.
• Measure for both the top and the bottom horizontal supports separately because variations in the wood or construction may make the measurements slightly different.

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